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“Daytona holds great memories for me and I always enjoy returning there,” says Richard Petty, the King of NASCAR, and multiple winner of the Daytona 500. Besides stock car racing, there’s plenty more to do at the World's Most Famous Beach. Biketoberfest draws loyal followers who come every year for the motorcycle rallies and bike shows; retirees spend the winter in Florida to avoid freezing-cold weather. Enjoy the beach, interact with stingrays at the Marine Science Center, or fish in the Intracoastal Waterway. To avoid the crowds, consider coming in winter.

Daytona International Speedway

The cooler months are a great time to think about NASCAR, starting with Speed Week and the Daytona 500 in February, the Speedway Spring Car Show in March and the Turkey Rod Run in November. Bikers congregate for a three-day weekend in October for Biketoberfest. The Daytona Speedway KOA next to Daytona Flea and Farmers Market on International Speedway can be your base camp for all events. Return visitors often book their reservations a year in advance. The International RV Park & Campground is practically next door on International Speedway, and has a fishing pond, putting green and swimming pool. Leave well in advance for these events to avoid traffic gridlock.

Nova Family Campground

Nova Family Campground is “Paradise on a budget,” according to its website. In Port Orange just south of Daytona and a few minutes from Canaveral National Seashore, this charming park offers RV sites shaded by palm trees. The 4,000-foot log-cabin recreation hall is perfect for group events; the front office has a list with contact information about jet skiing, surfing or parasailing. Kids are allowed to stay in the park, but anyone staying longer than 21 days must be an adult.

Indian Mound Fish Camp

Indian Mound Fish Camp near New Smyrna Beach is a family-run RV park on Mosquito Lagoon, the narrowest part of the Intracoastal Waterway teeming with wildlife. The camp stocks camping, fishing and shrimping supplies. Besides snacks, sodas and beer, the small store sells live bait and tackle, rents canoes and kayaks, and provides information about guided fishing tours for redfish. This is the place for serious anglers and nature lovers all year long.

Harris Village

Harris Village in Ormond Beach is a “nice little place for quiet people.” This park has personality. The lower winter rates attract retirees retreating from freezing-cold winters. Besides proximity to the International Speedway, Harris Village is near scenic Ponce Inlet and its 100-year-old lighthouse, the Peabody Auditorium which hosts the London Symphony Orchestra, and the newly built LPGA headquarters. Check the office for activities sponsored for seniors by the YMCA.

Bulow RV Park

Bulow RV Park in Flagler Beach--just north of Daytona Beach--is a short drive from the Intracoastal Waterway. The deep-water channel cuts through wetlands and marshes, which is great for fishing, canoeing and kayaking. The rugged rocks on brown, sandy Flagler Beach offer a refuge for nature lovers. Nearby Washington Garden State Park, filled with azaleas and camellias and shaded by live oaks, extends between the waterway and the Atlantic shoreline. Besides the basics, the RV park has a large swimming pool, a dance hall and a horseshoe pit.

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Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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About the Author

Mary Foster began writing professionally in 1990. She has experience as a freelance copywriter and scriptwriter, and has worked for such organizations as Lockheed Martin and North Carolina Public TV. Foster has a Master of Arts in communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in film from the University of Central Florida.